Coffee House Writers Magazine features my new poem, “Living in the Shade.”

Hello, dear readers and followers. I contribute to Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) every second week, and I’m delighted to share that my latest poem, “Living in the Shade,” appears in the new issue. You can read it by following the link below.

>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/living-in-the-shade/

This week’s piece was shaped quietly at my café table, with late‑day light drifting across the floor and Portugal. The Man’s live performance of “Shade” echoing through my headphones — a fitting companion for a poem about those left waiting in the dimmer corners of our world.

Let this song cast its own soft light across the shadows we carry.

Until Eyes Hear Sound

Amazon >> Amazon.com : Until Eyes Hear Sound

Lulu Books >> Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)

Perceptions:

Amazon >> Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >> Perceptions (lulu.com)

Tullawalla:

Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books

OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com … and I can send you a PayPal account,
for the Book, plus Postage.

Ivor Steven © June 2026

“Between the Moon and Clouds” is up at Spillwords Magazine

Only posted on my site on June 1st, submitted the next day, and published yesterday — a beautifully swift and heartening response from Spillwords.

I’m absolutely ecstatic to share that my poem “Between the Moon and Clouds” has been accepted and published in Spillwords Magazine this week. My heartfelt thanks to editor Dagmara for selecting my piece — her support means the world.

You can read the poem on Spillwords by clicking the link below, and if you feel moved to, you’re welcome to leave a 💗 for the article:

>> https://spillwords.com/between-the-moon-and-clouds/

Please note: the featured image above was kindly supplied by Spillwords Press.

Between the Moon and Clouds

written by: Ivor Steven

They say the world is changing,
but the moon cannot stop frowning,
while nature is unerringly hurting,
beneath our fettered feet.

Between the worried moon
and the settling clouds,
I perceive a loud rumbling sigh
from beyond the deep blue sky.

In one ferocious breath, Thor decries,
“Beware of the ground’s ringleader’s lies
about the Earth’s visible demise,
and hear the crust’s cries
with your own eyes.

Ivor Steven

Ivor Steven was formerly an Industrial Chemist, then a Plumber, now retired. He has had numerous poems published in anthologies and online magazines. He has 2 self-published books, “Tullawalla” and “Perceptions,” and is an active member of the Geelong Writers Inc. (Australia) and an appointed writer for “Coffee House Writers” magazine (USA).

Just days after first sharing these thoughts on June 1st — born in that quiet space between day and night — Spillwords welcomed the poem into their pages with a wonderfully swift response

Ivor Steven © June 2026

Coffee House Writers Magazine features my new poem, “Climbing Time.”

Featured Image Above: The image is a photomontage of a dim, muted horizon, and a crow flying above the horizon (which is the glued-on piece)

Hello, dear readers and followers. I contribute to Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) every second week, and I’m delighted to share that my latest poem, “Climbing Time,” appears in the new issue. You can read it by following the link below.
>> Climbing Time – Coffee House Writers

The day’s soft edges — a wavering line, a lingering bird, a fallen quill — all found their way into the poem.

Somewhere beneath the melody, the climb keeps unfolding.

Until Eyes Hear Sound

Amazon >> Amazon.com : Until Eyes Hear Sound

Lulu Books >> Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)

Perceptions:

Amazon >> Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >> Perceptions (lulu.com)

Tullawalla:

Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books

OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com … and I can send you a PayPal account,
for the Book, plus Postage.

Ivor Steven © June 2026

Haiku for Soulmates in the Museum of Modern Japanese Literature

Haiku from around the world now resting in Japan’s premier literary museum — a milestone worth celebrating.

This morning brought extraordinary news from Gabriela Marie Milton of Literary Revelations Press — news worth celebrating.
Learn more about Literary Revelations Press: >> https://literaryrevelations.com

The Museum of Modern Japanese Literature in Tokyo has officially accepted four Literary Revelations anthologies into its permanent collection:

Petals of Haiku
Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku
Haiku and Tanka: Lull, Harmony and Power of Japanese Art
Haiku for Soulmates

Thanks to a thoughtful presentation by Literary Revelations’ Artist in Residence, Hikari, the museum recognised the depth and authenticity of these global haiku voices. Their decision reflects a growing appreciation for international expressions of Japanese poetic forms.

For Gabriela, for Hikari, and for every contributor, this is a moment of genuine pride. These books will now rest in Japan’s premier literary institution — preserved for future scholars, poets, and readers.

As a contributor to both Tranquility and Haiku for Soulmates, I’m deeply honoured to be part of this moment.

Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku

Let the music settle softly over the moment — a quiet echo of everything worth celebrating.

Ivor Steven © June 2026

Throwback Friday, Bird on a Ladder

In keeping with this week’s ‘Bird’ theme, today’s Throwback Friday poem (originally written in May 2023) is drawn from my third book, Until Eyes Hear Sound. It appears as a poem in Chapter 1: Little Creatures and the Birds

Bird on a Ladder

I am a blackbird on a circus ladder
Singing about how the world is feeling sadder
Or should I sing, “becoming madder”

Here on the last rung, I stand
Below, I see a treeless land
Above, I hear a breathless sky
After the show, I untangle my necktie
And I ask you why
“Does it matter, when I leap, what route do I fly?”

“Let the music spin the world’s madness into something we can still sing about

Until Eyes Hear Sound

Amazon >> Amazon.com : Until Eyes Hear Sound

Lulu Books >> Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)

Perceptions:

Amazon >> Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >> Perceptions (lulu.com)

Tullawalla:

Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books

OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com … and I can send you a PayPal account,
for the Book, plus Postage.

Ivor Steven © May 2026

Coffee House Writers Magazine features my new poem, “I’m Quietly Flying Around.”

Hello, dear readers and followers. I contribute to Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) every second week, and I’m delighted to share that my latest poem, “I’m Quietly Flying Around,” appears in the new issue. You can read it by following the link below.
>> I’m Quietly Flying Around – Coffee House Writers

There’s a peacefulness in flying alone for a while, until the friendly and noisy Corellas swoop in to remind me I’m never truly by myself up there.

A small song to keep me company while I’m quietly flying around.

Until Eyes Hear Sound

Amazon >> Amazon.com : Until Eyes Hear Sound

Lulu Books >> Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)

Perceptions:

Amazon >> Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >> Perceptions (lulu.com)

Tullawalla:

Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books

OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com … and I can send you a PayPal account,
for the Book, plus Postage.

Ivor Steven © May 2026

Throwback Friday, Polar Bears and Cold Sheep

In keeping with this week’s ‘Environment’ theme, today’s Throwback Friday poem (originally written in July 2020) is drawn from my upcoming book, Time Hears No Sound. It appears as a poem in Chapter 2, Nature: An Unbiased Timekeeper

Polar Bears and Cold Sheep

hello world, do you see my frown?
will the blizzards ever calm down?
will the rains forever fall on broken ground?
will our tears of silence be the only sound?

the frozen wounds are deep
the mountains of snow are steep
humans need to stop being cold sheep
and begin taking their own individual leaps

the rewards of being caring and kind
far outweigh the coldness of being left behind

For the wounds we’ve carved into the earth, may this music echo the quiet truth our planet keeps trying to tell us.

Ivor Steven © May 2026

“Haiku for Soulmates” is now Available on Amazon

Dear Readers and Fellow Contributors,

I’m delighted to share that Haiku for Soulmates has made a stunning debut — reaching #1 Amazon Bestseller in the US, Japan, and the UK. What an extraordinary achievement for everyone involved.

Gabriela Marie Milton, our editor, offers these beautiful words from her heart:

Gadriela: (the Editor) A few words from her heart:

“Haiku for Soulmates is a breathtaking collision of ancient tradition and the boundless, relentless auroras of the modern spirit.
Today, the world becomes a little smaller and infinitely more beautiful. As an editor and publisher, my heart overflows; witnessing this vision transition from a dream into a living, breathing masterpiece is a profoundly emotional moment. This is not just an anthology—it is a global sanctuary, a cinematic tapestry woven from the heartbeats of 200 extraordinary contributors.
From the sacred silence of its Japanese birthplace to the vibrant, shimmering horizons of voices spanning the globe, these pages hum with a rare, vertical excellence. We have captured the lightning of human connection and pressed it into ink.
To my brilliant contributors: you are the light that makes this aurora possible. To the world: I invite you to step into this gallery of the soul and lose yourself in the brilliance of the brief, the bold, and the transcendent.”

The journey begins now. Explore the anthology at the link below.

Link: https://us.amazon.com/Haiku-Soulmates-Literary-Revelations-ebook/dp/B0H161X18Q/

Learn more about Literary Revelations Publishing House >> Literary Revelations – Independent Publisher of Poetry and Prose

The Haiku below are my 5 contributions to the anthology.

Five Haiku

1

Between hugging arms
From my elbows to your toes
An embrace we trust

2

Home is on my mind
Home is nearby, and afar
Home’s her distant star

3

Cloudless summer days
Sunlight kissing everything
I felt you with me

4

Our dreams connected
Across turbulent oceans
Waters of love found

5

Soft winter sunshine
Her sky’s raining blue diamonds
Warms my fragile heart

For every heartbeat woven into this anthology, here is a song for the souls who found each other across distance, silence, and light.

Magazine features my new poem, “An Interview With Time.”

Hello, dear readers and followers. I contribute to Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) every second week, and I’m delighted to share that my latest poem, “An Interview With Time,” appears in the new issue. You can read it by following the link below.
>> An Interview With Time – Coffee House Writers

I’ve written about Time in many poems before, and a few of those familiar lines resurfaced as I shaped this one. It felt natural to bring them together here — especially on a day when Time was willing to cooperate and stand still for a moment.

In the stillness where Time stands present, let the music hold the vow that words can only touch.

Until Eyes Hear Sound

Amazon >> Amazon.com : Until Eyes Hear Sound

Lulu Books >> Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)

Perceptions:

Amazon >> Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >> Perceptions (lulu.com)

Tullawalla:

Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books

OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com … and I can send you a PayPal account,
for the Book, plus Postage.

Magazine features my new poem, “Email Overload.”

Featured Image Above: The image is a photomontage of my computer desk, a Pandora Box, and my imaginary space craft, ‘ITMIMS’ (Ivor’s Time Machine In Micro Space)

Hello, dear readers and followers. I contribute to Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) every second week, and I’m delighted to share that my latest poem, “Email Overload,” appears in the new issue. You can read it by following the link below.
>> Email Overload – Coffee House Writers